((new time skip which means new entry!))

[glitterpaws]

The food was delicious. The entire package was worth the price tag attached, although Rowan had a sneaking suspicion that the next time he visited will be alone and cut that price tag in half.

There were plenty of other places to take Lucia to eat that she'd appreciate just as much at a fourth of that price. His wallet was crying a bit right now.

"Home sweet home," he announced as he unlocked his apartment and walked in. Aphrodite gave him a long look from where she was lounging on her tower scratching post, but didn't otherwise react. As was normal; after all, she wasn't a dog.

Home was where he was freest to be himself, which was mostly letting his tail act like a tail and not like a secret in his pants. A horrible way to phrase it and he never said it outloud because even the implications were just asking for eventual ridicule and overcompensation and-

Anyways. "Make yourself at home," he said over his shoulder as he sat down on the couch. "Alcohol is in the fridge if you didn't drink enough of my money away already."

Comments

[junelight]

When Lucia peaked at the bill, she was alarmed and she wasn't even the one paying it. Her guilt lasted only until they left the restaurant. Rowan was the one who chose their dining location, after all. He knew that she didn't mind cheap diner food, too.

Just as Rowan said, Lucia made herself at home like she always did. Rifling through his fridge, she made herself a Rum and Coke before settling down in a comfortable position next to Rowan on the couch he held too much pride in.

"So," she said. "You wanted to talk about something?"

[glitterpaws]

His couch was the best, end of discussion. And it was pretty, which made the fact it was super comfortable even better.

"Something." His tail flicked a bit at the end as he considered how to phrase it. "Word on the vine is that there's a mountain moving into the local Hedge." Lucia was of the Autumn Court, which meant she should theoretically know more than he did on the random shit that happened in the Hedge.

Theoretical. He wasn't sure how much she paid attention to much of anything.

[junelight]

Lucia smiled, taking her time with her drink before answering. "Yes, there is one. It has some hedge beasts attached to it, I heard."

Her spying didn't include this mountain of books, but she knew other members of the Autumn Court were taking a huge interest in it. She was interested in it, too, but she didn't know if she wanted to take her chances yet. "I know quite a few are going to try and... see what gifts it has."

[glitterpaws]

Rowan's ears flattened against his head, in irritation and thought. Part was at himself - of fucking course the Autumn Court would be going for it. Half the freehold was no doubt going to try their luck.

But it grated him more at the thought of the Autumn Court going in to find and hoard even more information.

Fuckers. Lucia, of course, excepted from that. Mostly.

"More knowledge than even the Hedge knows what to do with." He tried to sound casual and nearly managed. "A tempting prospect."

[junelight]

Of course the Autumn Court was going to hoard even more information. Why wouldn't they? Would they be who they were if they didn't? Silly Rowan.

Her smile was also half a smirk. "Curiosity killed the cat. Didn't they tell you?" Oh, and here she was going to leave the part where she heard the Hedge beasts tried to kill you if you tried to get near and steal a book... but it was the Hedge, so she thought that mostly came part and parcel. It was a subtle enough hint that was obvious. "We'll get the information before you, I bet. Most of us aren't cats."

[glitterpaws]

"Cats have nine lives as well." He had to have at least five of them left.

Rowan stretched and then laid down on his part of the couch, his head bumping against Lucia and his legs dangling off the edge.

"Being first just means you clear out all the bad things, right?" It was a giant mountain. Pretty sure even the entire Autumn Court couldn't take open an entire fucking mountain. "Are you going?"

[junelight]

"But are you a true cat?" They weren't human, but he wasn't entirely a cat as well. "I don't know if your theory holds!" Besides, had anyone ever proven that cats really had nine lives? She didn't think so.

She nudges his head and mussed up his hair; she knew how much he liked that. "You mean we'll take all the good stuff first." Adjusting into a more comfortable position so she wasn't awkwardly supporting Rowan's head, she made a thoughtful hum. "I don't know." She really didn't. She'd rather not go to the Hedge any time soon.

[glitterpaws]

"I'm cat enough." He flicked his tail in emphasis. It had to come with some bloody benefit.

Rowan half-purred in response, his eyes growing heavy lidded and happy. "You'll ignore what I want." Although, at this second, what he wanted was head scratchings, which wasn't being ignored. "So if it's okay if you go first and look at the things you think are important." He thought about that, then added, "You as in your Court. You really don't want to go?"

Maybe she was scared. Court of Fear. Court of Scaredy-Cats?

That was not a thought that should be thoughted and was most definitely not going to be said outloud.

[junelight]

"Cats also only live to be about 20 at the very most," she pointed out. For emphasis. "Are you cat enough for that?"

Snorting, Lucia gave him the head scratching he so desperately wanted for the briefest of seconds, pulling her fingers away the moment she thought his eyes closed. "Oh, I'm sure my Court is definitely going."

She shrugged. "If there's going to be a huge crowd going anyway, I don't want to have to deal with that. I'm sure I can get access to some of it later." That was a convincing lie. Crowds didn't bother her that much, and she was willing to wade through all the others to get to what she wanted, but it just wasn't appealing to her to go. Maybe she was scared, but she hadn't really evaluated her feelings on it. She just chose to move onto something else that would busy her mind.

"Are you going to go?"

[glitterpaws]

"Considering I'm over twenty, the answer should be obvious."

Rowan mrowled in disapproval when her hand disappeared. She was so stingy with her petting! So unfair.

"Yes." No point in hiding it or dancing around it. He rolled a bit so he could look up at her, although the angle was awkward. "There's no point in risking life and limb for a bunch of mundane plants. For hedge plants, though ..." His tail thumped the couch.

[junelight]

Lucia rolled her eyes. "You know what I meant. Did you want to be dead already?"

Sighing, she dropped back against the couch, wanting her weight to make a 'thump' sound. "Who thought you'd be that much of a risk taker? Especially when you know so many Autumn courtiers are going." How much would he really be able to take? Lucia had her doubts it'd be much.

[glitterpaws]

"When you don't speak clearly, I have no idea what you're trying to mean." He poked her thigh to get a reaction out of her.

"Well. It's a giant fucking mountain and we are a relatively small Freehold. The Autumn Court can only take up so much room, and I can become very small and sneaky. Besides, it is a very stupid idea to get between someone of Spring and his passion."